Virginia › Portsmouth City › Member School Board, Portsmouth City
8 candidates are tracked for Member School Board, Portsmouth City on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Quniana D. "Q" Futrell, Tamara L. Shewmake, Luis F. Padilla, Ingrid P. Whitaker, Denzel E. Glover, Cardell C. Patillo, Jr., Melvin Cotton Jr. and Justin V. Randall-Jenkins. Candidate information follows official Portsmouth City election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
8 certified candidates for Member School Board, Portsmouth City on the November 3, 2026 ballot; Quniana D. "Q" Futrell and Tamara L. Shewmake and Cardell C. Patillo, Jr. and Melvin Cotton Jr. are listed as the incumbent by the Department of Elections, per the Virginia Department of Elections' certified local candidate list (updated September 3, 2026). Virginia local offices are nonpartisan on the ballot unless a candidate was nominated by a party; the number of seats filled and the district lines come from the locality's own ballot.
Quniana D. "Q" Futrell co-owns Creative Learners Academy, serves as CEO of ECE Firm LLC, and is executive director of the nonprofit Building Resilience in Communities Inc., per her campaign site. A published author with an Ed.S degree who is pursuing a doctorate from Liberty University, she is the mother of three current and former Portsmouth Public Schools students, per the same source, and is seeking a second school board term.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- Early literacy and academic readiness alongside emotional and social development
- Proactive school safety practices and consistent accountability
- Competitive pay and retention strategies for school staff
Source: candidate campaign site.
Campaign site →
Tamara L. Shewmake is a member of the Portsmouth School Board seeking re-election on November 3, 2026, per her campaign site, which does not detail her occupation or specific priorities.
Campaign site →
Luis F. Padilla is a Portsmouth resident who has spoken publicly to city council about the financial impact of a proposed sales-tax increase for school construction, per WHRO. He is a candidate for an at-large seat on the Portsmouth School Board. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
Dr. Ingrid P. Whitaker is a tenured associate professor of sociology at Old Dominion University, per an ODU article. She previously served on the Portsmouth School Board from 2014 to 2018 and was elected again in 2020, holding a Ph.D. in sociology and social work from the University of Michigan, per the same source. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
Denzel E. Glover is a parent and community advocate running for the Portsmouth School Board, per his candidate fundraising page. He says strong schools are the foundation of a strong city and calls for leadership that is present and accountable, per the same source. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
2026 priorities (per the candidate fundraising page)
- Safe classrooms
- Supporting educators
- Leadership that listens to families
Cardell C. Patillo, Jr. is Youth Pastor at Grove Baptist Church in Portsmouth and has served on the Portsmouth School Board since November 2014, currently as chairman, per his official Virginia School Boards Association bio. He holds degrees from Liberty University, Virginia Union University and Virginia University of Lynchburg, per the same source.
Campaign site →
Dr. Melvin Cotton Jr. is a graduate of I.C. Norcom High School who holds degrees from Liberty University and Virginia Union University, per candidate biographical materials. He serves as vice-chairman of the Portsmouth School Board. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
Justin V. Randall-Jenkins is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Member School Board, Portsmouth City, per the Virginia Department of Elections' certified local candidate list. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
